MOSCOW FEBRUARY 2012 www.passportmagazine.ru Ostrovsky and Zamoskvorechye Revolution? Renewal? Tanzania: Game without Guns Resurgence? Reform? Buddhism in Russia February_covers.indd 1 25.01.2012 18:28:58 Contents 3. Previews Alina Kalinina 7. Theatre Review Marina Lukanina 3 8. Cinema Preview Vladimir Kozlov 9. Your Moscow Zamoskvorechye, Katrina Marie 12. Literary Moscow The Alexander Ostrovsky House, Marina Kashpar 9 14. Out & About Rugby, Year of the Dragon! Ross Hunter 18. The Way It Is Svyatki (fortune telling), Tanya Shorova Evolution, John Harrison 26. Religion The Lesser Known Buddhists, Saransh Sehgal 26 29. Travel Tanzania, Luc Jones 34. The Way It Was Red Wedding, part 2, Helen Womack 38. Real Estate The Strangest Real Estate Deals, Vladimir Kozlov 29 Real Estate News, Vladimir Kozlov 41. Family Pages Puzzle Page The Fisherman and His Soul, abridged from Oscar Wilde, illustrated Nica Harrison 44. Thinkers’ Page Kaleidoscope: the Great Seen Small, Ross Hunter 41 45. Book Review All You Need is Hate, Lenin and his Comrades by Yuri Felshtinsky, Ian Mitchell 46. Profiles Dance for Love! Mario Vitale Labrador and Joy A nabelle Womack, Helen Borodina 46 48. Distribution List February 2012 3 Letter from the Publisher “Something has changed; it’s like another country,” said PASSPORT writ- er Ian Mitchell on returning to Russia after the long holidays, echoing the words of Alexei Navalny on being released from prison after having being detained for fifteen days in December. What has changed? How has the country changed? These are the ques- tions the editor, John Harrison, tries to answer, although he admits it is dif- ficult because everything continue to change so fast, though that in itself is exhilarating. The change, he says, is palpable. Suddenly, people have hope for the future. Russia is turning into the kind of place that you actually want to do creative things in. It is no longer just a hardship post. John Ortega In this new world that we now inhabit, PASSPORT will strive to bring you more news and reports of relevant ex-pat activities, bizarre journeys such Owner and Publisher as this month’s safari in Tanzania by the inimitable Luc Jones, articles on Russian culture, such as that by Tanya Shorova on fortune telling, as well as historical pieces, such as those kindly offered by Helen Womack. Ross Hunter tickles your intellectual fancy with a piece on Percy Shelly and his famous poem, Ozimandias; while Nica Harrison treats us to another fan- tastical drawing, this time an illustration of an Oscar Wilde short story, “The Fisherman and His Soul”. The magazine as a whole is a not-for-profit, community effort, and if you would like to see more of one thing and less of another, or indeed would like to contribute articles or pictures, please write to the editor, John Har- rison: [email protected] Owner and Publisher Accounting and Legal Services John Ortega, +7 (985) 784-2834 ООО Юридическая Компания [email protected] “Правовые Инновации”, 111024, г. Москва, пр-д завода Editor “Серп и Молот”, д.5, стр.1, John Harrison (495)223-10-62, [email protected] Гл бухгалтер. Якубович Любовь Александровна Arts Editor Alevtina Kalinina Book and Whisky Editor [email protected] Ian Mitchell [email protected] Designer Julia Nozdracheva Nightlife editor [email protected] Miguel Francis [email protected] Webmaster Alexey Timokhin Contributors [email protected] Ross Hunter, Marina Kashpar, Nica Harrison, Marina Lukanina, Helen Womack, Luc Jones, Ian Mitchell, Vladfimir Kozlov, Larissa Franczek, Katrina Marie, Helen Borodina, Saransh Sehgal Editorial Address: Published by OOO PASSPORT PASSPORT occasionally uses GS PARK Projektiruemi Proezd No 3610 1st Magazine. All rights reserved. material we believe has been Floor, office 013. This publication is registered by placed in the public domain. Moscow 115054 the Press Ministry No. 77-25758. Sometimes it is not possible to Office 013, 1st floor 14.09.2006 identify and contact the copyright 109316 Moscow, Russia Tel. +7 (495) 640-0508 Printed by BlitzPrint. Moscow owner. If you claim ownership of Fax +7 (495) 620-0888 representative office: something we have published, we Sales: (8) 916 521 3110 127051, Moscow, Petrovsky will be pleased to make a proper www.passportmagazine.ru Boulevard, Dom 10. acknowledgment. 4 February 2012 Previews Crown of the Earth Crown of Earth is the name of the cur- rent exhibition at the Moscow Gallery of Classical Photography. It puts on display eighty works by acclaimed Japanese au- thors who are participating in the Japa- nese Society of Photographers. It was founded in 1952 and annually holds a contest for young and promising authors. The Moscow exhibition presents those masters whose works have been awarded series, in which he captures in a single shimura. Whatever we mean by globaliza- prizes over the past 5 years. The show is long exposure a full day in various places: tion, the way it is interpreted by authors opened by Ken Kitano, winner at the re- both common like a school classroom as from different cultures only proves how cent Paris Photo contest. His cycle of pho- well as historical sites in Japan. And different these views are and how original tographs is called: “Our Face” and renders through this process he investigates the they will always be. P the globalized world in a series of por- identity of photography, accumulating traits. The choice for the series comes moments of time and highlighting regu- February 1-15, from an attempt to represent the conflict- larities. Among other participants we 12:00-21:00 except Mondays and Tuesdays ing unity of the plural idea of “our” and should also mention Naoki Ishikawa, Taka- the singular form “face.” His other newest yuki Maekawa, Yasuhiro Ogawa, Shintaro Gallery of Classical Photography project entitled “one day” is a landscape Sato, Toshihiro Yashiro and Kazutoshi Yo- Savvinskaya embankment, 23. Building 1. Henry Moore, the canon of modern sculpture British sculptor, Henry Moore, is con- his designs for tapestries. The exhibits sidered to be one of the greatest sculp- have been drawn from the Henry Moore tors of the 20th century. His works are in Foundation, the British Council, the Tate the collections of numerous museums Gallery and also several private collec- in the world. And his monumental sculp- tors. His best masterpieces have been tures decorate the squares in front of selected to reflect the themes and im- the Houses of Parliament in London and ages that inspired the sculptor most. His the UNESCO building in Paris. The Krem- earliest sculptures were influenced by lin Museums present an exhibition of primitive cultures, but in his artistic evo- Moore’s works in the Assumption Belfry lution he became more and more at- and One-Pillar Chamber of the Patri- tached to surrealism and abstract forms. arch’s Palace inside the Kremlin, the ex- Among the exhibits is the Madonna and hibition space of the museum. Moore’s Child, the model of the original sculp- creative legacy will be presented in his ture from Church of St. Matthew, February 22-May 2012 sculptures, working models he made Northampton, one of the artist’s own Open: 11:00-17:00 daily except Thursdays for his sculptures, bronze statuettes and most favourite pieces of art. P Kremlin Museums “Play. Light.” The technique of etching has been who finds inspiration in this complicat- known in Europe since the early 16th ed process. Her exhibition is called “Play. century. A design inscribed by acid on a Light.” This is a series of vedutas of Mos- copper plate, transferred to a piece of cow which highlight its tiny alleys and paper becomes a print. Many artists and yards. The artist captures the right angle painters tried the technique when they of light and shadow so that even some turned to graphics. One of the greatest ordinary places look like postcards. In masters of pure etching was Rembrandt almost monochromatic prints, rich emo- (1606-1669). The master preferred etch- tions and impressions are rendered ing to engraving and produced over through thinnest gradations of dark and 300 etchings with unsurpassed virtuos- light. P ity, and proved that this is a perfect me- dium to properly render light, air, and February 1-19, space. Yet it is no easy task. And nowa- 11:00-19:00, every day except Mondays days only a few artists even approach it. Moscow Museum of Modern Art Svetlana Lanshakova is a Russian artist 10/11 Gogolevsky Boulevard February 2012 5 Previews Folk music in perfect acoustics In February, the Svetlanovsky Hall of the House of Music slightly changes its normal repertoire in favour of two brilliant perfor- mances of folk music. The first one is an anticipated concert by the Pyatnitsky Choir (Russia). The second will be given by the world-famous Budapest Gypsy Symphony Orchestra. As the musicians say, it is difficult to describe the spirit of a country in words, but easier to render it in music and dance. The Pyatnitsky Choir is one of the oldest folk choirs in Russia. It was the first to promote laboratory for folk music, with expeditions on the audience: all dressed in colourful Russian peasant music to the main stage to distant villages and the hunt for rare mel- traditional Hungarian costumes and per- and present it all over the world. The basis odies and large-scale concerts bringing to forming by heart compositions from of the repertoire is songs from different re- the surfaces the peculiarities of Russian mu- Monti, Dinicu, Brahms, Bizet to Strauss gions of Russia. They are not only sung but sic, costume and culture. and Tchaikovski. P danced, which makes comprehension easy, The “Budapest Gypsy Symphony Or- even without knowing the language.